Andrea O. Freeman

1 John 5:13-15 I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God. Now you can know you have life that lasts forever. We are sure that if we ask anything that He wants us to have, He will hear us. If we are sure He hears us when we ask, we can be sure He will give us what we ask for. Mark 11:24 Because of this, I say to you, whatever you ask for when you pray, have faith that you will receive it. Then you will get it. So many days recently I have spent searching the scriptures, asking my closest confidants, how do I pray? I struggle with my prayers more now than any other time in my life I think. Am I praying right? Am I praying with great expectation? Am I asking too much of God? Am I trying to do His job by being too specific in asking Him for what I want, for my heart's desire? It can be exhausting. This question. Lord, how do I ask this of You? I am afraid to ask my greatest desire of You because, well, I am afraid You won't give i...

It doesn't matter what you are facing today, just stop and give Him glory! I am amazed how quickly God works in me to re-set my focus each day when in the midst of my worst moments, I take the time to stop, cry out to Him and say,"You are so good, Lord!" Somehow, it puts everything in perspective because immediately my heart is flooded with how blessed we truly are. I don't feel much like doing it lately, but it helps me get focused on what matters most. Nothing we have, nor anything we accomplish in this life will matter except that I am a child of God, He loves me and I get to spend an eternity with Him one day! It is amazing to consider even at my worst moments, when I have shouted and cried out to God in my anger, in my frustration, and yet....He gets me. He understands me. He hurts with me. He knows me. He loves me!! Ryan and I are going through something fierce, something really crappy, something so difficult that in the midst of it right now it woul...

I am a pitiful sheep. I suppose most sheep are, they aren't very bright animals and they need a lot of care and watching over. We as Christians, walking through this life with so much bombarding us from all directions are no different. How on earth do we make in through a single day without our Shepherd to care for us? Before I go to bed tonight, I find myself reading a familiar psalm that I memorized as a child. God, my shepherd! I don't need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction. Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I'm not afraid when you walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd's crook makes me feel secure. You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies. You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing. ...

The waiting. It is intense, it is exciting, it is frustrating, it is humbling, it is exactly as He intends for it to be right now, at this very moment in my life. If you've glanced at my blog over the past seven months then you know a little bit about what Ryan and I are going through. God is doing something, we don't know what it is, but we are starting to see glimpses of hope, light at the end of the tunnel. He is working, yes He is! Through my best and my worst moments, I have been clinging to that mantra and it remains embedded in my thought process along with some key scriptures that have pushed us forward on this wilderness road. Something in my devotional stuck yesterday, and so of course, I just have to share it. We are considering God's will, what is it, what does He have for us, what will He do next? What door will He open, and will it unfold into what we see as the next ministry for us? So this thought yesterday, has been etched nearly permanent in my mi...

What is your story? What will be your story when you come through what God has put in front of you? Will you choose to persevere? Will you keep putting one foot in front of the other? What will you do when God sets you apart and gives you something, something you think is just too big to handle? Perseverance. I am thinking on that word today, because it is what we need to do in these times of uncertainty. Persevere. Time and time again I find myself saying it in conversations, with Ryan, with family, with friends, those who have chosen to ride this wave with us and see just what God is up to....and hope is beginning to crest just over the horizon. It may just be a glimmer right now, but it is evident in recent days that God is beginning to reveal what is next to us. I was just reading in Genesis 32 about Jacob, his dream in which he wrestled with an angel. He would not give in, he would not let go, he said in v. 26, "I will not let go until you bless me." To that,...